The Illusion Of Time
by Troubles In Paradise
Summary: Natara wakes up one morning to find herself in the year 2043! A time traveling serial killer is on the loose and Natara soon realizes that her purpose for being sent through time is to catch him, but she can't do it alone. With the help of Captain Fallon, Detective Fallon, and FBI Special Agent Fallon, can Natara stop this powerful killer before he rips apart the timeline?
1. Chapter 1

**Haven't written in a while but I had this (what I think is cool) idea for a story. So here goes nothing! :) _This story is from Natara's point of view unless otherwise stated. _**

**The Illusion of Time**

"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!" I groaned groggily as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I never sleep until the alarm goes off, and I'm definitely not this tired in the morning. I open my eyes to the bright sunlight pouring in from the window and shield my eyes until they adjust. "Mal, time to get up. We don't want to be late to work." I roll over to nudge him awake when I'm met with emptiness beside me. His side of the bed is neatly made, as if no one had slept there at all. "Mal?" I call out. Silence. "Mal?" I get out of bed and walk into the bathroom half-awake. No one. I walk into the living room. No one. "Mal!" The panic is obvious in my voice. Where could he be? I glance around the room, looking for a note or an empty beer bottle, anything to signify his presence. Suddenly, I snap to full attention when I realize that I'm not in his apartment. I'm not even in mine. I spin around studying the furniture. The fire engine red couch is geometrically perfect in it's design, each corner forming a perfect 90 degree angle. The tables and chairs are simple and metallic looking and the walls are painted a bright snow white. It was definitely a strange style of décor. I leaned back against the wall in disbelief and accidentally hit a button. The wall opposite of the couch suddenly opens up and the fanciest TV I have ever laid eyes on slides out from the opening into the room. Where am I? How did I get here? I close my eyes and swallow my concern, focusing on remembering my most recent memory. I was with Mal at work. We were investigating a killing, possibly dealing with a new serial killer. . .

_Natara steps out of Mal's car and is met with the light drizzle of rain. She opens up an umbrella. and offers to share with Mal but he politely declines. "It's only big enough for you. No sense in us both getting wet." She smiles and decides not to argue the point. They walk up to the fresh crime scene where a white canopy is set up to keep the area dry. Kai bounces up to them excitedly. "Oh my god this is the BEST THING EVER!" "That a person died?" Mal replied dryly. Kai's energy doesn't waver and he laughs at Mal's reply. Natara turns to Kai. "Settle down and just tell us what we're dealing with." Kai sighs. "Well first for the boring stuff. Victim's name is Shane Brown based on his I.D. Garbage truck driver found his body this morning in that dumpster next to the amateur hour graffiti." Officer Bartaugh walks up. "Based off of his information, he was a ghost. No job, no girlfriend or friends, no family. His parents died a while back and he has no siblings. Could it be random?" Mal thinks thoughtfully. "Could be, but we can't conclude that until after we know more. What's his cause of death?" Kai fidgets where he stands. "That's the exciting part! Come over here!" Mal and Natara share an uncertain glance and follow Kai. When they get to where the body is, they look at it in confusion. Across Shane's torso is a huge gash, but the flesh where the gash is is melded together. An infinity symbol is burned into his forearm. Natara says "It looks like a slash from a large blade. . ." Mal finishes her thought, "But it looks like it melted? What could do something like this?" Kai's excitement spills over. "Oh I don't know, a laser, a really hot sword, a LIGHTSABER!" Mal and Natara both roll their eyes and that's when Natara's phone rings._

My thoughts are cut off by the ringing of a phone. _Weird coincidence._ I rush over to the kitchen counter, which is jet black with chrome accents, and find what I believe is the source of the ringing. It looks like a sleek rectangular piece of glass, and when I pick it up off the counter, the front lights up with the message: Incoming Call. I tap where it says "Answer" and a holographic screen pops in the air above the phone. I jump back in surprise and almost throw it across the room. An older gentleman appears on screen. "Special Agent Rose." A million questions race through my head but I don't bother mentioning them. I go out on a limb and guess he's a district chief. "District Chief, to what may I owe to have you call so early?" "I've got a case for you to help the SFPD out with. I can see it looks like you just got out of bed, so get to Fisherman's Wharf as soon as you can. I'll be there to introduce you to your new partner. I think you'll like him." I smile politely. "Thank you, sir. I'll get down there as soon as I can." He nods and ends the call. My first reaction is to freak out but instead I search frantically for my FBI badge. I find it on the nightstand and flip it open. _Special Agent Elizabeth Rose_. I glance at the picture and sure enough, it's me. _What is going on? _I walk back out into the living room and run my hands through my hair. I have no idea where I am, where Mal is, why my name is supposedly Elizabeth. I pick my weird, piece of glass phone up and touch the front. The screen lights up again and displays a lock screen. I look at the date on my phone and nearly choke. _**March 22, 2043?! **_That. . . that can't be right. I rush over to the window and throw the curtains back. I'm greeted by the San Francisco skyline, but one I've never seen before. Futuristic buildings and skyscrapers scatter throughout my view. I look down and see stylish cars hovering silently across the road. The only familiar sights being the buildings that I know have always been there, and the Golden Gate Bridge. 2043. 2043? I slump down onto the couch. This is just a dream right? This can't be real. It feels real though. . . What am I supposed to do now? After a few minutes of thoughtful thinking I find my answer. Time to head down to Fisherman's Wharf.

**So I'm sorry if this chapter is kind of slow but it'll pick up I promise. It's going to be really exciting and I want you to stick around for the end :) Please review :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting The Future

_**Thanks to mozzi-girl, NiekaWow, FeliciaTheGoat, Things In Ink, and Abbzcadabbz22 for the reviews! They mean a lot to me. I'm on Spring Break so hopefully I'll be able to work on this story a lot before school starts back up!**_

**Chapter 2: Meeting The Future**

The cool wind of the Bay blows past me and it brings a sense of familiarity, because God knows nothing else in 2043 does. I walk briskly down the docks of Fisherman's Wharf towards the crime scene. Even they have been heavily renovated, looking like a pristine shipyard equipped with top of the line cranes and concrete docks that replace the dilapidated wooden planks I had become used to. However, since it looks modern to 2013 me, it probably looks crappy to everyone else here. I'm not even sure how I got here. I was so lost in a daze of subdued panic and confusion that I didn't even bother to see if I owned a car, I just wandered down the street trying to wave down a floating taxi. Eventually, one stopped for me, but trying to get in it was another story. Stupid technology.

I shake away my thoughts as I arrive at the scene of bustling police officers. I take note of their uniforms. They consist of dark blue skin tight material, almost like those SHIELD agent uniforms in that Avengers movie Mal made me watch. I quickly spot the man with dark gray hair who was on the phone with me earlier and he waves me over. "Agent Rose, there you are! I was beginning to worry." I smile and simply state, "Car troubles." He nods knowingly. "Well I'm glad you got here when you did." He glances behind him. " Ah. Your new partner just got here as well."

I gaze over his shoulder and watch as a man who looks a few years younger than me walks towards us. He's tall, tan, and built. He has short dark brown hair that's styled in the front and a few days worth of stubble. He strolls up to us, the sun glinting off of his aviator glasses he's wearing. "Hope I'm not too late Chief Bowen." He grins an all too familiar grin. "It's alright." Chief Bowen turns to me. "Agent Rose, I'd like you to meet Special Agent Ken Fallon, he'll be your new partner." I nearly choke as the words leave his mouth. This whole future thing just keeps getting more interesting. I must not have contained my bewilderment, because Ken takes notice. "Everything alright?" he asks concerned. I stutter, "I-I just- That name sounds familiar." He chuckles. "I guess no one can be in this city without hearing the Fallon name. I didn't catch your name." I grin politely. "Special Agent Elizabeth Rose." I extend my hand out to him. He smiles back and takes off his sunglasses as he shakes my hand. His piercing blue eyes sends a wave of Déjà vu washing over me. "Can I call you Lizzy?" I laugh genuinely. "No, but you can call me Beth. I'm looking forward to working with you."

Chief Bowen cuts in. "Yes, well Ken here has the best test scores to come out of Quantico. Beat his mother's old records." Ken brushes it off. "Well, when you have one of the FBI's best and one of the SFPD's finest as your parents, you're sure to be at an advantage. My mom taught us early on how to spot a stranger danger." He continues to talk but I completely trail off. That man is Mal's child. That man is my child. He said us. That means more than one child. Mal and I have more than one child. I think I'm freaking out. I'm going to throw up. Ken finishes talking and looks at me. I fake a smile. "So you want to go examine the body?" he asks. "Yes, please," I respond relieved.

We walk past the yellow tape, which, thank God, is still tape. I was expecting some weird holographic stuff. "So, who's the victim?" I ask. "The name is Victoria Bales. Local druggie. No family, no relationships. And no home." "How tragic," is the only thing I can think of to say. He shares a knowing look. Ken and I stop at the body and we both look down. I nearly gasp in shock. Across Victoria's abdomen is a deep gash, but the skin around the wound looks melted together. I put on a pair of gloves and kneel down. I examine her forearm, already knowing what I'll find. Sure enough, there is an infinity symbol burned into her arm. "Ken, look at this." He takes note of the symbol. "I've seen that before," he states. He closes his eyes, deep in thought. "March 2013, my parents were working a case with the exact same cause of death and M.O. They never found any leads and the case went cold." His eyes open up to see me staring in shock. "What?" he asks casually. "How, how do you know that?" He flashes me a Fallon grin. "I have an impeccable memory Beth. Plus, I used to read old case files as a kid for fun." "Sounds like you had an interesting childhood." "Oh, it was the best," he reassures me. I turn back to the body, and a memory comes back to me:

_Natara walks away from a giddy Kai and answers the phone. "Hello?' The Texas twang she came to know answers back. "Williams. I know you and Fallon are out working a case, but I need you to come back here ASAP." She scrunches up her nose in confusion. "If I may ask sir, why?" There is an equally confused tone to Anders' voice. "There are two men here and they need to talk to you guys. Apparently, it concerns the murder you are investigating right now." Skepticism fills Natara. "Are they official?" "As official as it gets, Agent. CIA." Natara sighs. "We'll be right there."_

After an hour or so of collecting what little evidence there was and questioning the dock workers, Ken and I have hit a wall. He flips through the notes furiously. "We can't lose this guy, we can't. He murders after 30 years, and we finally have a chance to bring Shane Brown justice, but we have nothing!"_ He gets agitated, just like Mal, _I think to myself. "How do we know it's the same guy?" I ask him. "It has to be. That murder didn't make enough headlines for someone to want to copy him. Plus, how many murders do you see with burned slash wounds and an infinity symbol?" I consider his words. "Not many," I reply. He shakes his head as to say, "Duh!" "Well, let's go back to the precinct. There isn't much more to do here," I suggest. "Yeah, that sounds good let's do that. Did you drive here?" I shake my head. "Okay, we'll take my car, let's go."

We head towards his car and approach an intersection. I blindly step out into the road when a large hand roughly yanks me back as a giant floating bus barrels right past where I would've been. "Are you alright?!" Ken asks loudly. He was the one who pulled me back. "I'm, I'm fine. I didn't even hear that bus coming," I state in a daze. "Gotta love technology," he smiles before indicating that it's safe to cross the street. This whole day feels like I've lived it before. It's because I have, only with Mal, not his son.

Pretty soon, Ken and I are driving through the streets, and he's trying to strike up a conversation. "So, isn't it great, being in San Fran?" He beams as he says it. "I haven't been here in a long time." I nod. "That's what the FBI will do to you," I say. "How long have you been gone?" "About a year," he responds sadly. "I always said I would be okay, not being here. I'm an adult, I can live wherever I want. But lately, I've realized that San Francisco will always be my home. This is where my family is, my friends, my life. My girlfriend, Sara, lives here too and I know it's hard on her. I'm currently working on trying to get stationed here, but for now, my home is New York, and I'm so lonely there. Sara won't move over there and I couldn't even ask her to leave her life behind for me." He looks away sadly. I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You're home now." He smiles. "Enough about me. What about you?" I scramble to come up with a story. "I'm kind of in the same boat as you. I'm stationed here but my home is in Miami." "FBI sucks," he says with a laugh. "Here we are."

He pulls up his floating car to the side of the road and hops out. I follow suit, even though I don't see the precinct, I see some weird futuristic building in it's place. The outside is painted a bright white and the corners are rounded, which gives it an odd capsule look. I follow Ken up the metal steps and he bursts through the door. I jog to keep up. "Don't want anyone to see you?" I ask quietly as I follow behind him. "It's best if they didn't right now. Everyone here has known me since I was born. They will just want to catch up with me and I don't feel like doing that right now. I'm heading towards the Captain's office. He's going to assign us a detective to work with." "Alright," is all I manage to get out before we arrive at a door. He hesitates before knocking, but then does two quick knocks on the door. "Come in," I hear an older voice reply back.

Ken opens the door and allows me to enter first. I walk in and the first thing I notice is a woman wearing a badge standing by the desk, and a man with gray hair sitting with his face buried in paperwork. When Ken follows in behind me, the woman's face lights up immediately. "Kenny Jake!" she yells before running over and tackling him in a hug. She is slightly shorter than him and has the same hair color, skin complexion, and bright ocean blue eyes as Ken. "Hey Lauren," he says tightly hugging her back. _That's his sister. That's my other child._ I conclude. I look back and expect to see the man at the desk looking at them, but instead I'm met with him focusing his attention on me, and when my gaze meets his, both of our eyes go wide. I'd know those eyes anywhere. That shade of blue that matches the hugging siblings a few feet away from us. His facial structure. I look down at the name plate on his desk to confirm that he was who I had already known him to be. _Captain Mal Fallon._

He stands up and turns his attention back to Ken. "Ken, I didn't know it was you they were sending." He walks over and gives him a hug, and the resemblance between the two is astounding. I study Mal. His hair is short and a light shade of silvery gray. He looks weathered and has wrinkles, but he still appears to be in peak physical shape. Overall, he looks surprisingly good for his age. "I wonder why they didn't tell you I was coming," Ken states. "Agent Rose and I are here to get our partner." Mal laughs. "Well, you're looking at her!" Ken's face drains of color. "What?" Mal turns to me. "Agent Rose, is it? Meet Detective Lauren Fallon, Ken's twin sister. She'll be assisting in your investigation." I shake hands with my daughter. "This is going to be the best," she says excitedly. She nudges Ken. "Not only has it been a year since I've seen you, but now we get to work a case together! It's just like when we were kids Kenny Jake!" Ken furrows his brow. "Please don't call me that." I glance at him quizzically. He sighs and says, "Kenneth Jacob Fallon is my full name, so Detective Lauren here calls me Kenny Jake. She has been since we were five." I can't help but smile and imagine them playing together as kids. Mal laughs and tells Ken and Lauren, "You guys step outside for a moment. I need to speak to Agent Rose about her other cases she's working." They both nod and go to step outside. "Meet us at the crime lab," Lauren says before the door slides shut. Mal looks back at my confused expression and grins. "Well Natara, I was wondering when you would show up."

_**Thanks for reading! Keep the reviews coming, they motivate to write more! :) Also, as a side note, I'm not good at describing people, so the man and woman on the story cover is what Ken and Lauren are supposed to look like, just with tanner skin. **_


	3. Chapter 3: Some Explaining To Do

**HopelessRomantic1994:** Hopefully this chapter will answer your questions :)

**FeliciaTheGoat:** Aww thanks! I'm sure you're a great writer, you should put a story up sometime! :)

**mozzi-girl:** Thank you so much!

**Abbzcadabbz22:** Cliffhangers are the worse, but I'm sure they're will be more!

**NiekaWow**: Thank you so much! I'm glad I was able to clear up your confusion, but I'll go ahead and put it on here again for anyone else who was confused. Ken and Lauren are sisters, and are Mal's and Natara's kids. Agent Rose is actually present day Natara but that is the name she is going by in this future.

**The Beautiful Filth: **Thanks so much! I always knew that if I wrote a story involving the kids of Mal and Natara, I would name their son Ken to honor you know who. The "Special Agent Fallon" that is mentioned in the story summary refers to Ken Fallon, I just didn't want to put his name in the summary. Captain Fallon is future Mal, and Detective Fallon is Lauren.

**RavioliRavioli:** Thank you! That means a lot!

_**Alright so I'm pretty sure this story is going to start getting really confusing, so if you ever have any questions, feel free to ask me and I will do my best to explain without giving anything away. Here's Chapter 3! It's mostly talking but that's because this chapter answers a lot of questions. Enjoy! :)**_

**Chapter 3: Some Explaining To Do**

"Well Natara, I was wondering when you would show up," Mal says with a smirk. In that exact moment, even though there were still a million questions racing through my mind, they were all silenced by that sentence. "You, you know it's me? How?" I stutter. Mal chuckles. "I think I would recognize my wife, no matter how old she is." He looks down at my hand to see that I don't have a ring. "Oops, spoiler alert. I meant future wife. I'm old, I forget things." Hearing him call me his wife gives me butterflies. The good kind. But I shake it off and continue to ask questions. "Why are you acting so normal about this? What do you mean you were expecting me?"

A look of confusion spreads across his face. He speaks slowly. "You. . .don't remember. . . why you're here?" "Of couse not!" I exclaim. "I'm supposed to know why I woke up thirty years in the future with a different life and just go with it?" He looks away, deep in thought. "You should have remembered. . . That's weird." I wave my arms angrily, as to signify that I have no idea what's going on. "Care to explain?" He sits back down in his office chair and waves to the seat in front of his, and I follow suit and sit across from him. "Okay well, it was 2013, and we had just started investigating the Shane Brown murder." I nod in remembrance. "These guys from the CIA came and said they wanted to talk to us. They filled us in on what was going on, and apparently, the murderer was a dangerous individual from the year 2080. His name was, or is, Blake Sharpe, 30 years old. His parents were major contributors to the time travel science. Blake had always had psychotic problems, and one day, he snapped and murdered his parents for no reason. He stole their current project, which was a top of the line time travel suit, and has been going on a time traveling killing spree. We think he kills in different times before he was born to avoid being caught, since you can't collect evidence on someone who doesn't exist yet. And he uses 2043 as his sort of 'home base'." I interrupted him. "What does that have to do with me?" Mal coughs before continuing. "Well, the possibility for time travel had just been newly and secretly invented in 2013, and the CIA wanted us to help take him down by sending us into the future to assist the law enforcement authorities." "Why did they need us?" "Shane Brown needed justice just as much as any of the other people Blake killed. Just because someone kills in a different time, doesn't mean you still don't have jurisdiction here." I'm still wracked with confusion. "Where's Mal then? My Mal?" "Time travel was still new, they could only send one person at a time, and you stepped up, much to my disagreement. A memory flashes across my mind.

_"So only one of us can go?" asks Natara. "Yes." "I'll go." "No, Natara I'll go. You have no __idea what might happen. It's the future." Natara remains persistent. "They could use my profiling skills. My approach may be different and this killer seems unstable enough to crack. Besides, it'll be cool to see what lies ahead." One of the agents cuts in. "The future is delicate. Nothing is set in stone." Mal and Natara glance at him and turn back to one another. Mal gives in. "Fine. You can go. But you need to stay safe." Natara gives Mal's hand a squeeze. "I'll be safe. Promise." She turns back to the CIA agents. "So how is this going to work? Do I just show up unannounced?" "No. We already have an identity set up for you and everything. You're name will be Elizabeth Rose and you're a Special Agent with the FBI. And you won't arrive totally unannounced. We've confirmed Mal Fallon's presence in the year 2043 and he should be expecting you." The agents look at Mal. "What? I'll remember about her, don't worry."_

"I still don't understand why they just couldn't use you and future me to help," I inquire. "Well, for starters, I'm a 65 year old man and you're 63, I don't foresee us chasing down any killers, especially time traveling ones. Plus, you're retired and currently on vacation with Neha in Florida. It's really nice this time of year," he says sarcastically. "That reminds me, why are you still working Mal?" I ask. He leans back in his chair and looks away. "I was waiting for you. Right now, in 2013, I'm pestering the people monitoring your vitals to make sure you're okay. I'm begging the people working the time travel thing, trying to get them to send me so I could help you. But they keep telling me it's not possible. So I made a promise, a promise to myself that if I couldn't help you as 2013 Mal, I would help you as 2043 Mal. But I couldn't do that as some retiree working at his restaurant. No, I would have to be Captain, so I could at least provide you with the power of the SFPD." I smile gratefully. "Thank you. So you're going to retire after we catch this guy? Obviously I help catch him because I'm alive in the future." He shakes his head warningly. "Don't take this for granted. The timeline is fragile. One different move could drastically alter the future. This isn't guaranteed." "I understand." "Stay safe." "I'll be safe. Promise." He grins. "You better get to work. Ken and Lauren are waiting for you in the crime lab. "Shouldn't Ken and Lauren know what we're dealing with?" "I'll fill them in when I "debrief" the three of you later." As I head for the door he calls out, "Don't tell them you're their mom, it might freak them out and cloud their judgment." I roll my eyes. "Yes, because their sanity and judgment is the only one that needs protecting. I'm the one who has to work with my unborn children!" "Exciting, isn't it?" I scoff as I walk out of office and head towards the crime lab.

This is easily the strangest day of my life. I remember volunteering to go through time, but it doesn't seem real. Maybe it's because those memories are still fuzzy, and I don't know why I don't remember. It doesn't take me long to find the crime lab, and when I walk in, I see Ken and Lauren standing around a computer, looking at files of different cases. "Agent Rose, there you are. We were beginning to wonder what happened to you," says Lauren. "What are you guys doing?" I ask. Ken answers, "Looking at old cases. Apparently, there have been three other occurrences where someone was murdered with some crazy weapon and then there was an infinity symbol burned into the forearm. They must have happened so far apart that the old investigators didn't connect the dots or know what they were dealing with." _Or Blake just killed these people recently, _I think.

After a few hours of reviewing case files and evidence, Ken, Lauren, and I head back to Mal's office, where he explains to them who Blake is and the dangers he poses. He doesn't mention anything about me being from the past or who I really am, so I suppose I have to keep that a secret. "Well, I think you guys have done everything you can for today, so go home and get some rest. Be ready to work hard first thing in the morning," says Mal, dismissing us. Ken and Lauren turn to leave, and I steal one more glance at Mal. He gives me a little smile and a nod. I walk out with Ken and Lauren and listen while they talk. "I still can't believe we're dealing with a time traveling killer. How are we supposed to catch him?" asks Lauren. "I'm not sure, I'm still as confused about this whole thing as you are, but we'll have to work fast to avoid any catastrophes," replies Ken. "In the meantime, we should go out to dinner and catch up," suggests Lauren to Ken. "I was actually going to go see Sara. She is my girlfriend who I haven't seen in a year." "Well I'm your sister. Aren't I important?" Ken sighs. "Of course you are, but we have this whole case together. I'm going to see you everyday. I won't see Sara." "Ugh, fine. Come on Beth, I'll give you a ride back to your place."

While on the way back to my apartment, I try to start a conversation. "So, Detective Lauren, your brother and you seem a lot alike. Is there anything different about you two that I should know?" "Contrary to what Ken may tell you, I'm actually the more charming one," she says with a laugh. "Is that so?" "Yeah, I don't know where he got his social skills, but he uses me as a wing man. I'm the one who had to set him up with Sara. He couldn't even look at her without getting nervous. I think the whole FBI thing boosts his confidence." "I keep hearing about Sara, what's she like?" Lauren's face lights up. "She's the sweetest girl ever. She's nice and polite to everyone she meets. She's a professional chef at this fancy restaurant and runs a book club in her free time. She's got the most gorgeous blond hair you'll ever see, and a smile that could light up a room. Plus, she's the only girl that has stuck around when Ken leaves for the FBI, and is always waiting for him to return. They're perfect for each other and I couldn't imagine my brother being with anyone else." "She does sound perfect." As we approach my apartment, I turn to look out the window of the car. I could have sworn I saw what looked like a glowing motorcycle driver rush past us, and look into our car, meeting my gaze. But it all happened in a matter of a second, so I didn't think much of it. "Thanks for the ride, Detective." "Please, call me Lauren, and no problem. Ken or I will be here to pick you up in the morning." "Sounds good."

And with that, she drove off and I made my way up to my temporary apartment. As soon as I got in the door, I collapsed onto the couch without even bothering to turn the lights on. I just lay there and allow everything that happened today sink in. I still couldn't believe it. After what felt like hours, I sat up and stretched, and that's when I noticed the card on the counter. I walked over slowly and picked it up. It was a plain white business card and a message was written in black sharpie. "Those first victims were just practice. Time for the real fun to begin. - ∞"

_**So yeah, I know that last part with the car ride was boring, but I believe in the importance of detail. :) I'm kind of unsure where to go from here. Like, I know the ending and what leads up to it, but I'm unsure of how to get there, so bear with me! :)**_


	4. Chapter 4: What Next?

**Mozzi-girl: **Thanks so much! I'm glad I'm keeping you hooked :)

**The Beautiful Filth:** I guess you'll just have to keep reading to see what happens ;)

**PetraWiggin55: **Thanks so much! And no I won't answer that question because I don't want to give anything away :)

**LittleGirlBigImagination:** Oh my gosh, thank you for your review! It's stuff like this that keeps me writing :)

**Abbzcadabbz22:** Thanks so much! I'm going to try to update as soon as I can. I'm SUPER busy with school right now but when the year starts getting closer to ending I should have more time to write. :)

_**Alright so I'm REALLY SORRY I haven't updated in a while! I'm just really busy. Plus, I'm still in a foggy area with this story. Luckily though, the tennis season is over and I have my AP tests coming in 4 weeks so after that I'll be free to write to my hearts content. Not really sure how this chapter will turn out because I'm just typing randomly. This chapter will be as new to me as it is to you :)**_

**Now that I finished the chapter, I'll just tell you that the first ¾ of this chapter is filler fluff. Oh well. I think it's cute :)**

**Chapter 4: What Next?**

_SFPD Captain Mal's POV_

"How's Florida treating you?" I smile as I watch Natara, my Natara, on the hologram screen projecting from my phone, as she struggles with her phone. She can't seem to figure out how to get the window to pop up so she can see and hear me. "I can't hear you Mal. These stupid phones frustrate me." She mus have finally pulled it up, because she makes eye contact with me and grins. "Gotta love technology," I say. "Definitely. So what did you say?" "I asked how Florida was." "Oh! It's really great! Neha and I visited the Kennedy Space Center and then went and relaxed at Cocoa Beach. It's nice to see a part of Florida other than Disney and Miami." "I bet it is. So guess who came into town today to help Lauren with a case?" She thinks for a second but finally shrugs. "I don't know. Who?" "Ken."

Her face lights up. "Oh really? I haven't seen him in ages. Too bad I'm not there. Do you think he will be there long enough for me to see him when I get back?" "I'm not sure Nat, this case is pretty involved. They even had to bring in another Fed to help him and Lauren out. Maybe." "Do you know the agent they brought in?" I can't help but smile even though an extremely weird feeling comes to me. "Well, actually, it's. . . it's you." Her face scrunches up in confusion before a wave of realization washes over her face. "Oh. . . Is it weird?" "Extremely." "Hmm. Shame I can't remember anything about that case. Stupid side effects of time travel. Mal I'm worried." "Why?" I asked concerned. "You made it back, what's there to worry about?" "Ken and Lauren. I didn't know it was them I was chasing that killer with. I always had a feeling something bad happened when I was there. Nothing says they will be okay. Nothing guarantees their safety. Just because I made it back doesn't mean. . ." I cut her off. "Don't fret over it. We've got you, Ken, and Lauren, the greatest law enforcement individuals I've ever met, taking this guy down. They'll have no problem. You just enjoy your vacation and maybe you'll get to meet young you when you get back." She nods. "I don't want to meet me. That'll just make me mourn over my lost youth." "You are more beautiful than I remembered." I smile and Nat just rolls her eyes. "Don't try anything Captain Fallon." "Wouldn't cross my mind retiree Natara Fallon." "_Never call me_ that again Mal." My phone beeps indicating an incoming call. I see it's from _Agent Rose. _ "Sorry to hang up on you sweetie, but I'm getting a call from you. Love you."

She rubs her forehead and sighs. "Love you too." Natara smiles one last time and hangs up. Her image is instantly replaced with the image of young Natara, and it messes with my head a little bit. I take notice of her worried expression. "Natara, what's wrong?" She sits in what looks like her apartment, but the lights are all off. "I-I just got home. . . and I found this note." "Note? From who?" "I'm assuming Blake." She hold a business card up to the camera and I can barely make out the black writing in the dark. "What do I do Mal? I know he's not here because I think I saw him leave my apartment when Lauren dropped me off. I didn't think anything of it until now." I spin left and right in my office chair. "I don't know Natara. There isn't much we can do about it tonight. We'll show Ken and Lauren first thing in the morning. But I also don't feel safe leaving you alone." I furrow my brow, deep in thought. I rake my hand through my short gray hair. "I'll be right over." Natara doesn't look like she agrees, but nods anyway. "Alright."

_Natara William's POV_

When Mal got to my apartment, the first thing I did was throw my arms around him in a hug. He didn't hesitate to hug me back. I feel so lost here in the future. I have some psycho futuristic killer leaving notes in my unfamiliar apartment. Nothing is right. Except for Mal. He may be 65 and married to someone else who happens to be 63-year-old me, but when I close my eyes and hug him, I feel safe. I feel like I'm in my Mal's arms. And the world I'm in doesn't feel so unfamiliar anymore, even if it's for a few seconds. "I'm sorry Mal." "Don't be." He pulls away and rests a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?" "I'd be lying if I said 'Yes.'" "And I would be able to tell," he laughs. He finds his way to one of the weird chairs and settles down. "I don't think Blake will bother you, but you can never be too safe." "Right."

I find my spot on the red couch across from him and we instantly lose ourselves in conversation. He asks me to retell old stories that are really only a year or two old to me, but are decades old to him and he can't remember the specific details. I watch in delight as his face is stuck in a permanent smile. I try getting information out of him about the future, but he won't spill. "Tell me about how you propose to me. Tell me about our wedding." "No and no." "But you said I won't remember anything about this experience anyway. I won't remember this conversation." "I'm not ruining the magic for you, even if you won't remember." "It's because you can't remember isn't it? Senior citizen Mal is losing his memory!" "Har har. Thirty years of your humor I've had to deal with. I don't need two Nats giving it to me now." We talk like this for hours, and I unknowingly fall asleep at around five o'clock in the morning.

When I wake up, I look across at the chair Mal was sitting in to see that he isn't there. A note sits in his place. It reads: "_I know you and notes aren't really on the best of terms right now, but I thought I'd leave you this anyway. I had to go to work. I suggest you do the same. - Senior Citizen Mal_"

I chuckle and fold the note up, and then set it back down on the chair. The business card is gone. I get ready fast and go downstairs to find Ken leaning up against his car, grinning. "Morning Sleeping Beauty." I roll my eyes. "Let's just go." Ken and I chat casually on the ride to the precinct. It was mostly him telling me about his date night with Sara. The romantic dinner. Catching up on their lives. "Oh, and we agreed to go pick out a puppy this weekend," he beams. "Is the puppy to replace you?" I ask jokingly. "Haha no. We just thought it would be good for us to have something that ties us together. Better than a kid." He laughs. I just glare at him. "Not funny. Got it."

When we get to the precinct, Lauren is already inside waiting for us. "About time. Captain said he's got something important." Ken looks toward Mal's door. "Then let's go." The three of us walk in and I immediately spot the business card in an evidence bag tacked to a board. "Detective. Agents." Ken and Lauren take notice of the card. "Where was that found?", they both say in unison. Mal sighs. "Blake Sharpe supposedly wrote this note and left it in Agent Rose's apartment last night." They both whip their head around and look at me. "Last night?" says Lauren. "Why weren't we made aware of this? Something could have happened!" Ken says angrily. "I had it under control," I respond. "Agent Rose notified me. She was safe," defends Mal. "What do you we do now? That is basically an open threat," states Lauren. "This may actually be a good thing. If he's feeling confident, he might make himself known more. Appear more. He'll be easier to spot. Easier to catch," says Ken. "But if he's making more moves, that means more people will be murdered," I add. "These are all good points, but they all involve waiting around to see what he does and we can't afford that. Go down to the crime lab. The techs may have found something," orders Mal.

Just like that, I find myself following Ken and Lauren again, down into the crime lab. A short and stocky forensic technician with blonde curly hair sits at a table studying something. "Whatchya got for us Mo?" asks Lauren. Mo looks up from his work. "Oh hey guys! Perfect timing!" His green eyes sparkle like an emerald. "Agent Rose, this is Maurice Fisher, our forensic tech," says Lauren. "Call me Mo." He extends a hand. "Special Agent Elizabeth Rose. You can call me Beth." He nods. "So! Enough introductions, you're here for the goods, right?", he says. "That'd be appreciated Mo," replies Ken with a smile. "Coolness. Follow me."

Mo leads us to his laptop sitting on the table. A power grid of the city is displayed on screen. "So, first off, I think the weapon that killed Victoria was a, hear me out, laser disc." We all stare at Mo blankly. "Alright so obviously you don't know what that is. Well it's this prototype weapon that is literally a frisbee with a hole in the middle and the outer rim is a super lethal laser, like a circular lightsaber. The hole is so you can grip it. . . It's like the thing on Tron. . . you guys don't understand my movie references. . ." His voice slowly trails off as he sees the looks of confusion on Ken and Lauren's faces. "I understand your references Mo," I reassure him. "Movie buff I see," he says impressed. "Sure, something like that." Ken interrupts. "Anyway, I think I can imagine what you're describing Mo. Continue." "Right, well, it's still in it's prototype stage like I said, but by 2080 who knows how far along it's come. But that made me think of something. Laser disc. Time traveling suit. He has to recharge that somehow, and I don't think a wall outlet will cover that. So I combed through the power usage at all of the power plants in San Fran and look what I found." I lean forward and look at the screen. "Greenville Power Plant used an astounding amount of power this month. Thousands of volts more than all of the other plants combined." Lauren speaks up. "If we stake out that power plant, maybe we'll catch Blake there when he goes to recharge!" Ken nods in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. Beth?" I wear a face of determination. "_Let's go catch this 'time lord' before he kills again._"

_**I literally made this chapter up as I went. Except for the phone call at the beginning. I knew I was doing that. Hopefully I can plan better next time haha :)**_


	5. Chapter 5: Sparks

**PetraWiggin55:** Lol I don't even watch Doctor Who but it seemed like the perfect opportunity to reference it :) Don't worry about me rushing, this story has just started ;) Anyway, thanks so much!

**TheBeautifulFilth:** Honestly I can't describe a hologram to you to save my life. May I offer a link instead? wiki/Hologram

**FeliciaTheGoat:** Thank you! I hope to keep you reading! :)

**mozzi-girl:** Thanks so much! I love making up stuff on the spot :)

**LittleGirlBigImagination:** You need to keep using the Lauren signal to motivate me to write now that I actually have time to write :) Thank you, hopefully I can keep you internally screaming, because I'm evil like that ;)

_**OH MY GOSH I'm so sorry I haven't updated in over a month! I've been so busy with school that it wasn't even funny. But now I am as free as a bird to write whenever I please. IMPORTANT: I realized that the "power station" I named in the last chapter, and what I was thinking of, are two completely different things. What I'm using is an electrical substation. Oh well. I'll do my best to stay consistent to what I'm thinking of, but in case I can't get the picture across or if I'm completely off, here's what it's supposed to be **__** wiki/Electrical_substation**__** :) **_

**Chapter 5: Sparks**

"Ken, truth or dare?" "Lauren, we're on a stakeout, I'm not playing Truth or Dare with you." "We've been on this stakeout _all day_. Do you even realize that? It's dark outside." Ken breaks his concentration away from the substation and takes note of the missing daylight. "Huh. He'll be here soon then." Lauren's brow twitches with irritation. "You said that four hours ago! We've wasted an entire day! Who knows how many more people he's killed!" "Lauren he'll _be here_. Trust me." As they continue to bicker in the front seats, I lean back with a sigh and rest my head against the backseat window. It's not like I can tell them to stop arguing. _'They aren't technically my children yet,'_ I think to myself with a smile. My stomach growls and I reach over into the plastic bag of snacks I was smart enough to bring and tear open a granola bar. I begin to munch on it, lean forward, and flick Ken in the back of the head. "Ow! What the heck, Beth?" I shrug nonchalantly. "You guys were getting on my nerves." Lauren snickers and Ken shoots a look at her. "Whatever, Detective Fallon started it." Lauren rolls her eyes. "Oh really, I'm Detective Fallon now?" "That is your title, no?" "Well, _Agent_ Fallon, as your partner I politely ask you to _grow up._" I wave my hands in front of their faces. "Guys, stop!"

They both grow quiet and turn their attention to me. "You certainly are brother and sister aren't you? And if you two hadn't been so busy bickering, you may have noticed that eerie and abnormal orangish-yellow light that started glowing over there. Just saying," I note while pointing out towards the substation. They both whip their heads in the direction of where I motioned. Sure enough, their attention catches on the bright glowing light coming from one of the main power grids deep in the station. Ken's hand reaches down to his holster. "That's gotta be him. Let's move!" "Bout time," replies Lauren.

Without missing a beat, the three of us silently glide out of Ken's car, our guns drawn. We jog past the gate and into the substation. Laid out in front of us are long rows of metal girders, wires, transformers. The rows form a neat square, the whole station being about the size of a football field. The ground consists of rough white rocks, which make a lot of noise when stepped on. '_Great for sneaking._' Ken motions for us to split up. Lauren continues to slink forward and take the right side of the station, while Ken and I turn left and take the other side. Moving fast, we approach the middle row. We slow our steps because of the crunching of rocks beneath our feet. We make eye contact with Lauren across the way and Ken gives her a nod. With a sharp inhale we whip ourselves and our guns into the row, aiming for where the glow _used_ to be. We are only met with darkness. Ken and I crunch our way over to the transformer, never putting our guns down. When we reach it, the only thing we find are charred rocks and the humming of electricity. "_Where is he?!_" Ken hisses quietly. I whisper back, "I don't know, but he must still be here." Ken and I scan the area with our guns. I walk out away from Ken to see if I can get a better look but still find nothing. Lauren still stands back on the far right of the row. She must have been trying to cover us in case something went wrong.

We wave for her to join us and she starts to make her way over. That's when a _dark shadow_ drops from above and lands behind her, the moving rocks alerting her of it's presence. She spins around to come face to face with Blake as his suit lights back up slowly. A still moment passes. Her gun is still raised but before she can react, Blake grabs her arm and twists it sharply around, causing her to drop the gun and cry out in pain. "LAUREN!" Ken and I both yell. In her moment of vulnerability, Blake sweeps her legs out from under her and slams her down into the ground in one smooth move. One quick punch to the head knocks her out. Ken and I both fire off a few quick shots but they ping off his suit harmlessly. He chuckles and a deep voice booms from inside his helmet. "It's going to take a lot more than bullets to get me." With lightning speed he throws one of his laser discs towards Ken. It lodges itself in the transformer next to him. Ken tries to hurl himself out of the way but he doesn't get far enough before the transformer erupts in a bright blue explosion of electricity. _FWOOMPZZSSHH! _The explosion knocks us both off our feet. I land on my side, but I'm unscathed. Ken however, flies backwards and lands by me, his body twitching and his clothes smoking. Blood streaks down his face. "Oh my god, KEN!' I glance up at Blake. I can't see his face in that helmet, but I can _feel_ him smirking. His laser disc flies out of the destroyed transformer without a scratch and back into Blake's hand. Without another word, he turns and runs.

"B-Beth." I look back down at Ken. He coughs. "I'll. . . be fine. . . Go. .get him." He coughs again and nods his head. "I'm not leaving you!" "If that explosion. . . was going to kill me . . it would've already. . . Go!" I nod and give his hand a quick squeeze before rising to my feet and taking off towards Blake. As I run, I sweep my gun back and forth, up and down, making sure he isn't trying to get the drop on me. "Where are you?!" I yell. I hear a sinister laugh from behind me. '_Oh_ _cr-_ ' Before I can even finish my thought I'm tackled from behind. I hit the ground hard and I can feel my cheek scrape across those God forsaken rocks. The gun flies from my grip and out of my reach. Blake wrestles my around to where I'm laying on my back. He has my arms pinned to the ground above my head, and he looms over me. He leans his head down and is close enough to where the top edge of his helmet glows and illuminates my face and I can see my reflection in his face mask, which appeared to be the entire front side of his helmet. Glowing lines of orangish yellow light run throughout his suit like a labyrinth, meeting at a circle in the center of his chest, which glows the brightest. The rest of his suit consists of glossy black armor pieces that don't quite meet together where his joints and points of movement are.

His voice rings out surprisingly clear, "So, Agent Rose, thought you could could sneak up on me with your friends, huh? I'm afraid you got involved with the wrong case." "What do you want?" "Don't be so inpatient. You'll find out in due time." "If you don't plan on killing me now why don't you let me go?" He laughs. "I need to know more about you, who I'm dealing with. Can't have surprises now can we?" He leans down further and I start to thrash out, but to no avail. He's strong. His helmet touches my forehead and I feel a slight and painless shock. My face is pressed right into his helmet, so I can't help but stare straight into it. After I felt the shock I suddenly see clips of memories, my memories, flash across the inside of his helmet, as if he's watching them. I can't see them very well, but I can make out a few. _Me riding my first horse. Me learning how to drive. Me sitting in a class in Quantico. Shooting Shawn._ As they continue to play out, I feel Blake's grip on my wrists tighten. _Meeting Mal for the first time. Meeting Genevieve. My face-off with the Kraken. My failed wedding with Oscar. My first kiss with Mal. _

After a few morehe lifts his head up and his helmet goes blank again. His voice drips with poison, and somewhat with excitement. He talks slow. "_You're not from this time either, are you Natara Williams?_" I'm silent for a moment. "What does it matter to you?" He laughs maniacally. "This is perfect. Here I thought you were just some poor Agent who didn't know what was coming. Heck, I even broke into your apartment to put a threatening note in there. Just to rattle you. But this is even better than I could have ever hoped. I have the entire Fallon family in one time frame. _Ha!" _I struggle and thrash even more_. _"You have no business with my family!" I spit. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Just know that _they're_ my main goal. And the fun has just begun." A voice calls out from the far right. "Hey you walking glow stick! Play with this" Blake and I both turn our heads in our direction to see Lauren standing there, her gun aimed right at Blake. She fires off three quick shots. Two just bounce off, but the third bullet finds it's mark, right where the plates on his suit don't meet. It lodges itself nicely into Blake's side.

"Hkk!" He tumbles off of me but manages to quickly and accurately throw his laser disc at the same time. It catches Lauren's hand, demolishing her gun. "Ow!" She recoils her hand in pain. Blake scrambles away, his blood staining the white rocks. I push up off the ground to pursue him. He managed to get a safe distance away from me, because he had enough time to fire up his suit before I got to him. "You haven't seen the last of me," he warns while grasping his side. His body erupts in a bright light right as I run up to tackle him, leaving nothing but drops of blood. I angrily pick myself up off the ground again and make my way back to Lauren. "Is your hand alright?" "Nothing a few stitches can't fix. How about you Agent Rose?" She indicates the gashes on my face. "Same." A thought suddenly occurs to me. "Ken!"

We both run back to where he was and find him where he was. He smiles faintly up at us. We both drop down to the ground next to him. I call 911 while Lauren talks to him. "Ken, Ken, you hear me?" "I hear you Lauren. I'm okay. Just a little shock," he replies weakly. "You got _electrocuted_. And blown up." He tries to shrug his shoulders while laying down. "All in a day's work," he replies with a grin. Lauren laughs. She checks his pulse. "Yeah, I think you'll be okay." I hang up the phone. "Ambulance is coming anyway. You can never be too careful," I say. "Well, I do feel like I got barbequed." He coughs. "At least tell me you got him?" Lauren and I exchange glances. Lauren answers him. "Well I got a shot on him." Ken's eyes light up. "That's great. Is he dead? Where is he?" Lauren pats his chest. "That's the problem. His suit still worked and he got away. He could be in any time period right now." "But he's been wounded. He'll bleed out eventually. It's be pretty hard for him to find medical treatment right?" Ken tries to reason. As a cold wind washes over us, I turn my head to the sound of the sirens approaching. I look back down at Ken. "Maybe. . . but I still feel like this is far from over."

**Which it is! Dun dun duuunnn. Anyway, thank you so much for sticking with me. I took an extremely long break but don't worry, Chapter 6 should be right around the corner. I meant for it to be a part of Chapter 5, but it would've made it way too long (long in my opinion lol) so I decided I'd make it it's own chapter. I'll type it soon enough. :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Handshake

**Feet269:** Thank you! It would be extremely awkward, but I don't plan on that happening haha

**The Beautiful Filth:** Thank you so much! :)

**mozzi-girl:** Thank you! Hopefully I don't disappoint! :)

**PetraWiggin55:** Thank you! I may or may not have named their daughter after me ;) but that's mostly because I figured, if I'm going to put my name in a story, might as well be this one :)

**Abbzcadabbz22:** I was actually laughing at myself the entire time I was trying to come up with the proper sound effect because I kept pronouncing what I typed and I sounded ridiculous. It would be really funny, but if it does happen, it won't be with sixty something year old Mal. That would just be weird lol. I'm glad I can make you guys happy! :)

**I am THE WORST when it comes to updating and I'm sorry you have to deal with my laziness. But in my defense, I was in Hawaii for two weeks without access to a computer. So here's chapter 6! I'm actually very excited about this because I get to write from Blake's POV. Hopefully it turns out well! **

**IMPORTANT: I'm rating this chapter T because of violence, dark themes, and what-not.**

**Chapter 6: Handshake**

_**Blake's POV**_

I find it humorous, how clearly you can think when you're lying in an ally in the dark, slowly bleeding to death after first doing a barrel roll off of a dumpster. It certainly wasn't my first choice to land after traveling through time, but I was a man with no plan, and I needed to stay hidden. So here I am, clutching my wound, trying not to watch my blood mix with the dingy ally water I landed near. My thoughts mostly consist of thinking about myself and how I got here. I'm not your typical serial killer. Most of them kill because "they feel like they have to" and crap like that. No, I'm not like them at all. I know that what I'm doing is wrong. _I just don't care. _Does that make me more evil? Am I worse because I choose to ignore the morals I possess? I'd like to think that it does. But these thoughts won't help me now.

I know what course of action I must take now, with the Fallons, but if I continue to lay in this ally, I can't go through with my plan. Being dead certainly isn't a part of it. I need medical attention. But there aren't many people who will help me. Actually, I don't think there is anyone who would do it _willingly_. But it doesn't take me long to come up with a solution. I'll get it from _her. _Yes, if I get all fixed up from her, I can continue on. Perfect. It's only a short drive from here. I just need a ride. Mustering up some strength, I manage to sit up against a wall. I then use the wall to help force myself to my feet with a pained grunt. Once I get my bearings, I start to make my way to the street when I spot a muscular man fixing a bag to his motorcycle, getting ready to leave. I decide to seize the opportunity. Turning the lights off on my suit, I glide up quietly behind him wielding one of my laser discs. "Give me the bike and I won't hurt you." The man stiffens but doesn't turn around. Suddenly, without warning, he whips around to try to punch me, but I intercept it with a quick swipe of my disc at his elbow, leaving him without an arm. I'm quick to lunge forward and wrap my hand around his mouth to stifle the horrific scream that follows. He falls faint, and I drag him to the ally I was just in. I toss him to the ground and he looks back and forth from me to his arm laying in the street.

"Listen," I warn him, "You're gonna sit quietly in this ally for 15 minutes. Then go find the nearest person so they can call 911. You won't tell them or the police _anything, _or I will come find you personally and make sure that your tragic story makes the morning news, if you know what I mean. You got that?" He runs his remaining hand through his green mohawk while whimpering. "My. . . my arm. You cut it off." I laugh and pat his cheek. "What's the big deal? It's 2080. The prosthetics are so good it'll be like you were never missing an arm. Now where are the keys?" The man fumbles in his pocket and pulls them out. With a shaking hand he gives them to me. I find humor in how easily a "tough man" can be reduced to tears. "Hopefully I won't see you again. _Right_?" The man nods rapidly. "Good." I kick his arm back in the alley next to him, and he looks down at it in horror. Then, I hop on his bike and ride off, navigating the streets I once called home.

Eventually I stop in front of a house in the "historic district". It's an early 2020's model. A modest two story home painted pale yellow with white trim and four pane windows. The works. There weren't many homes like these anymore, but if I remember correctly, the house had been in her family for a few generations and they took good care of it. I walk up to the roomy front porch and look to the left. There sits an old swinging bench. I had sat on that bench with her many times before, watching the night sky, talking about the future, but those days were behind us. Preparing myself, I knock on the door.

A few moments pass before she opens the door. She didn't even bother to look through the window to see who it was. She never has. "You said $15.47, right?" She looks up from the money she's holding. Her eyes go wide in shock and fear. "You're. . . not the pizza man." She goes to slam the door but I manage to catch it with my arm. "Ashley wait!" I step into the house to talk to her but she has taken off running. I go after her. "Get away from me!" Ashley tries to slow me down by throwing anything she can grab at me. I'm hit with pillows, picture frames, and flower vases, but her plan doesn't work. Even in my injured state I manage to corner her. I grab Ashley's wrists and turn her to face me.

"Blake! Blake please don't hurt me! What do you want?" "I just want to talk." "I'm not talking to you. You're a monster." I tighten my grip. "Can you just please listen to me for a few seconds?! For old time's sake?" She narrows her gaze. "I don't really think that applies to this situation." She can't see my face because of the helmet, but I think she takes the tense silence as a hint. She sighs. "What do you want to talk about?" "I need help. I've been shot." I look up at Ashley's numerous medical degrees framed on the wall. "And you're one of the few people I know who know how to treat bullet wounds."

She nods knowingly. "It is a knowledge people find unimportant these days. But _what on Earth_ makes you think I would save your life?! You're just going to go out there and kill more people! I'm not letting that happen and you're even crazier than I thought if you think I would."

I can feel the anger boiling in me. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this, but you leave me no choice. Say you choose not to help me. Well, I would kill you and go on my merry way. Now, sure I would die soon, but in the meantime. . ." I drop my voice to a harsh whisper. "I will kill every person I come across. Do you want their blood on your hands?" She looks at me with sad eyes. "How do I know that you won't do that once I help you?" "Because I have a plan. I have my targets. Nobody else has to die now that aren't involved with my plan. So it's your choice. A couple of lives? _Or yours as well as many?_" I let go of her wrists. I can see Ashley weighing her options in her head as she runs a nervous hand through her dirty blonde wavy hair, but the choice is pretty obvious. She sighs. "Fine."

Pretty soon we I'm standing upstairs in the guest bedroom, which Ashley has converted into a makeshift medical room. She finishes sterilizing her tools and looks up at me. "Well? Are you going to just stand there in that suit? Or are you going to take it off so I can get to your wound?" I power off my suit and take the helmet off, followed by the upper body part. Each section hisses as the pressure is released and I let it drop to the floor with a loud thud. It's heavy and I don't have the energy to set it down gently. I walk over and lay down on the table she has set up. She examines me for a moment. "That's new." She runs a finger along the fresh scar that runs from the left side of my forehead, through my left eye, and down my cheek. "How'd you get that?" The anger boils inside me again and I wait for it to go away before answering. "Messed with the wrong guy in the wrong year. Will you just do what your supposed to?" "What guy?" A memory flashes in my head. "He. . . he doesn't matter." I feel a wet wash cloth being gently rubbed around the bullet hole, washing away the smeared blood that had been on my torso. She then disinfects the wound itself. Even with all of the fancy technology that we have that could have instantly cleaned me, she still goes with the traditional wash cloth and disinfectant. Ashley always went with the traditional. I don't know why, but that was many of the reasons that I loved her.

She picks up her tools and begins to dig around. Pain flares throughout my body. "Nnhh!" She ignores me. "You're lucky that bullet didn't hit anything vital. Actually, I take that back. Everyone else is unlucky." I laugh sarcastically and it suddenly feels like someone stabbed me. I cry out. "Oops, sorry," she apologizes with equal sarcasm. "Don't push me," I warn. She continues to work in silence for a few minutes before speaking again, this time with a serious tone. "What ever happened Blake? That night? I. . . sometimes I wonder if everything happened because of what I did. Ending our relationship. Sometimes I toss and turn at night wondering if I'm to blame." I remember that night. The night I killed my parents. It is forever burned in my memory. I answer through my expressions of pain. "No. . . nnhh. . it wasn't your fault. You were right to. . grrr. . to break up with me though. I was losing my grip. I don't blame. . . aahh. . I don't blame you."

I look back up at her to see tears in her bright blue eyes. She won't look at me, and keeps her focus on her work. "Then what happened? Why did you kill your parents? Why are you on this rampage?" "My parents were awful." "Sure they weren't going to ever be nominees for 'Parents Of The Year', but they didn't deserve to die for that. Nobody _deserves_ to die." "They were worse than you think. I found out something that night. And I just lost it. I hadn't planned on killing them it just happened. I took their prized possession, the top of the line time traveling suit, so I could get away. But in the meantime I did some exploring, some searching. After a while, I knew what I had to do and I killed a few homeless people in different decades to get the Fallons' attention. . ." Ashley cuts me off. "Woah,woah, woah. All of this killing, all of this throwing your life and morals away, it's just for the _Fallons_? What bone could you possibly have to pick with them?! Mal and Natara Fallon passed away twenty years ago, their children are in their sixties, and their children's children don't even live in San Francisco! You've never even met a Fallon!" I swallow hard. "It's complicated, I wouldn't expect you to understand. Just know that once my plan is finished I'm done. I'll just wander the time line, free of life's responsibilities and disappointments." She frowns. "What you should do is turn yourself in. This crusade, what you're doing, it isn't you." I don't respond. She finally pulls the bullet out and for the first time in hours I feel the pain subside. "I just have to stitch you up now. Shouldn't take long." Ashley walks away and comes back a minute later and begins to stitch up the hole. "How's life been treating you?" I ask her.

She chuckles humorously. "I'm not sure how to explain it. At first everyone threw me this pity party because my long time boyfriend murdered his parents. They treated me like I was a survivor or something. But then it changed. Everyone started to hear the news of how you upgraded to serial killer status, and suddenly blamed me. Like it was my fault that I didn't see the warning signs. Or that I had seen the signs and ignored them. I guess they were right in a way. I saw them and misinterpreted them. Long story short, nobody has really talked to me in a while." I look down at the ground. "I'm sorry Ashley. But like I said before, you had nothing to do with it." She tries to hold back tears. "But what do you think would have happened? If I hadn't broke up with you that night? Would I be sitting here stitching up a serial killer against my will, all the while I fear for my own life?" I ponder about it for a minute. " I think. . . I think everything happens for a reason." She shakes her head. "That wasn't really the answer I was hoping for."

She finishes the stitches and walks over to the table behind me. "Just one more thing before I'm finished." "What's left?" A moment of silence passes before I hear her right behind me. "_This_." Suddenly I feel the sharp prick of a needle in my arm. Luckily, the fast reflexes I have acquired over time allow me to slap her hand and the syringe away before I'm given the full dose of whatever was in there. A rush of drowsiness washes over me. "What the hell?!" I stand up to grab her but my legs can't support me and I fall the ground, the blackness taking over me in a matter of seconds.

The world slowly fades in and out, and I never truly lose consciousness. I think it's because I didn't receive the full dose. But I'm still incapacitated. I can hear Ashley hurrying around, but when I try to look at her the world spins in blurry haze. I'm like this for a few minutes before I finally start to regain my focus. I see her forcefully bringing something over her head and down again and again. It take me a moment to realize that it's an ax. I don't think I've ever seen an ax in 2080 but that's not what concerns me. I'm able to make out what she's hitting. It's my suit. "NO!" I spit with rage. I lunge up from the ground towards Ashley. I push her away and she tumbles to the ground dropping the ax. I'm smart enough to snatch it up before she can get to it again. I kneel down and assess the damage of my suit. It crackles with electricity and sparks. It's completely in shambles. I'm still wearing the bottom half of my suit but it doesn't work without the top half, which now lays destroyed in front of me.

I spin around to face Ashley but she isn't there. "Hrrah!" I feel something solid hit the back of my head and I collapse against a dresser. I quickly sweep my leg around and knock her legs out from under her. She falls to the ground again and looks up at me with tears in her eyes. I return the gaze menacingly. "You fool! Why would you do this?!" "I couldn't let you mess with the Fallons. I couldn't let you mess with anyone! I called the cops and now you can't time travel to get away!" I feel my rage coursing through me. I fasten the ax to my side before turning to leave.

She stands up and follows after me. "When all of this is said and done, what will you have accomplished? Loosing your family and what you stood for? Ruining a family who didn't do anything to you?" I stop in the doorway, and think about what she just said. I still have my back turned to her. "You don't understand." "Don't understand? I understand perfectly. You're just some sick man who went over the edge because Mommy and Daddy missed a few birthdays and Christmases." I had tried all night to lose it. I didn't want to. But I did. I lost it. "_Don't you dare try to understand _!" In one swift move I pull out my laser disc, whip around, and slice right through Ashley's body. Just like I had with the others. Her face contorts in shock and pain and then falls to the ground for what will be the last time. I look down at her dying body and meet her teary eyes with my own. I kneel down and begin carving my signature, the infinity sign, into her forearm. I might as well let them know I survived. I still have time to escape. I'll also find another suit. My parents made plenty of others.

Ashley whimpers sadly and manages to get one last sentence out. "You're. . . not. . . the Blake Sharpe. . . I knew." I watch the light leave her eyes as I finish the sign. I stand up and head for the door, giving her one last glance. "_I never was_."

**Gah, I finally finished this chapter. I hope it turned out okay. Only one way to let me know ;)**

**Again, I apologize for my inconsistency and lack of updating. I'll try to be better.**

**Oh, and if you were wondering why this chapter is titled _Handshake_, it's because it's a song by Two Door Cinema Club that I thought sort of described this chapter. **

**Here are lyrics if you're curious :)** .


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